Mt. Pleasant man charged with unlawful restraint

A Mt. Pleasant man was jailed Wednesday on charges that he held a woman against her will for several hours, repeatedly striking her and threatening to kill her with a knife.

Charles P. Etling, 33, was arrested by Mt. Pleasant police. The victim told Etling she had to go to the bathroom about 4 a.m., but instead ran into the basement and forced open a door to escape.

She ran to a nearby Marathon service station on North Church Street to call 911.

Etling was arraigned on charges of false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, aggravated assault, simple assault and reckless endangerment and was ordered held in the county jail after failing to post $50,000 bond.

Patrolman James Kowalczuk said the victim told police the incident began Tuesday evening when the couple argued over Etling using her credit cards without her permission. The victim told police that Etling's anger escalated when she pulled out her cellphone and told him she was going to call his mother.

Kowalczuk said Etling forcibly took her phone, “smashed it against the sink and then threw it in the sink water, causing it to be completely useless.”

The victim told police that Etling left the home for a short time but returned intoxicated about 1 a.m., threatened her several times with a knife and assaulted her.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Etling at times held the knife to her temple, threatening her and threatening to harm himself.

Etling held the woman against her will for about three hours before she was able to escape, the affidavit said.

Kowalczuk said when he interviewed the victim she had contusions on her face and blood on her lip where Etling allegedly had struck her.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Jan. 15 before Mt. Pleasant District Judge Roger Eckels.

Paul Peirce is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at ppeirce@tribweb.com or 724-850-2860.